English Lesson: The Power of Learning Adjective & Preposition Combinations (Common Examples)
- Hello, this is Jack from ToFluency.com.
Now today we are going to talk about adjective
Now before I give you an example,
these are important because when we use
an adjective, we often want to use
And there are certain prepositions
that go with certain adjectives.
And you can think about these in terms of collocations.
And I've talked about the importance of collocations before
and this is just going to show you why it's so important
that you learn English through sentences.
Now to learn more about that, go to the description
because I have a video on that.
But enough about that, let's talk about an example now.
Listen to this, I'm afraid, I'm afraid.
Now that's just an adjective, to be afraid.
And you obviously know what this means, to be scared.
then you're going to need a preposition.
And I've already given you the preposition.
I'm afraid of the dark, I'm afraid of the dark.
I'm afraid of going outside when it's dark.
I'm afraid of going outside when it's dark.
In this example, we're using afraid,
plus the preposition of, then the gerund.
The gerund, the I-N-G, going, being, seeing, et cetera.
The good news is in English, after you use a preposition,
This is a rule without any exceptions,
which is very rare in the English language.
So today we're going to learn all about this,
We're going to learn adjective and preposition pairs.
Now if you really want to internalize this,
then it's important that you learn sentences
because it's all about getting to the stage
where you can use adjective and preposition combinations
Because there aren't rules about which preposition you use
after which adjective, so it's important
that you just learn them from heart.
And you can do this by learning sentences.
Now I'm going to include these sentences
so that you can download the audio phrases
If you want to learn more about that,
there is a link in the description.
And if you don't want to join the program,
for whatever reason, do this instead.
Get a notebook and write down the sentences
from this lesson and then think about ways
that you can repeat these sentences over the next few weeks
so that you can just internalize them.
The first one is interested in.
To be interested in something.
I'm really interested in photography at the moment.
So I'm really interested in photography at the moment.
This is a topic that interests me.
I'm interested in photography at the moment.
And I've got a new camera for this lesson.
Here's an example using the gerund.
I'm not really interested in watching any more of that show.
I'm not really interested in watching any more of that show.
So we're talking about a TV show here.
I'm saying that TV show doesn't interest me.
I'm not interested in watching any more of that show.
And a business example, he didn't seem that interested
He didn't seem very interested in what we proposed.
Number two is angry about, to be angry about something.
Now again, you can just say "I'm angry"
to describe your emotion, that you're
not feeling very good at the moment, that you're upset.
And then someone might ask you, "What are you angry about?"
So we're using the preposition about
And he's angry about not being able to see his friends.
He's angry about not being able to see his friends.
Now what we're doing here is we're using
Now we're using the gerund again.
He's angry about not being able to see his friends.
Not being able to see his friends.
That one is more of an advanced sentence.
Or I'm ashamed of what the company is doing at the moment.
I'm ashamed of what the company is doing at the moment.
The next one is aware of, to be aware of something.
If somebody asks you a question like,
"Are there any shows going on this weekend?"
You can say, "Not that I'm aware of."
So this not that I'm aware of is like an expression
that we use a lot, not that I'm aware of.
Can also use this when we're talking about danger.
So if you go downtown at night,
be aware of your surroundings.
When you go downtown at night,
be aware of your surroundings.
So be aware of what is happening around you
because it might be dangerous.
Or a doctor might say, "Are you aware of the side effects
"if you take this medication?"
Are you aware of the side effects
The next one is good or bad at.
Or fantastic at or terrible at or amazing at something.
Here's a sentence that I think is a great one to know.
Try and get good at speaking to strangers
to help you improve your English.
Try and get good at speaking to strangers
to help you improve your English.
So try and get, this is another type of collocation
that we use in English all the time.
Try and get, try and get good at.
So try to become good at speaking to strangers.
when you speak to strangers in English?
Is this something you're comfortable with?
at keeping in touch with people at the moment.
So again, we're using the gerund.
I'm bad at keeping in touch with people at the moment.
And to keep in touch with somebody
means to stay in contact with them.
So I'm bad at keeping in touch with people at the moment.
Another example is he's really good
at listening to people when they speak.
He's really good at listening to people when they speak,
which is a good skill to have.
And if you come across a good teacher, you can say,
"She's amazing at explaining things in a simple way."
She's amazing at explaining things in a simple way.
The next one is certain about, certain about.
When you're completely sure about something.
so certain about something in my entire life.
This is when you're really confident about your position.
I've never been so certain about something
But somebody might ask you, "Are you certain about that?"
Are you sure this is true, are you certain about that?
And you could say, "I'm not completely certain about it,
"but let's just do it anyway."
I'm not completely certain about it,
For example, I'm not content with the state
I'm not content with the state of our house at the moment.
Another example is it's Friday night,
you're a little bit tired and you say to your housemate
"I'm content with staying in tonight."
I'm content with staying in tonight.
And I find these days a lot of people say,
"I'm so busy at the moment, I'm so busy at the moment."
But if you want to be more specific
about what you are busy with, then use with.
For example, I'm so busy with work right now.
I'm so busy with work right now.
with their new restaurant at the moment.
with their new restaurant at the moment.
This is a good one, smart or stupid of.
For example, that's not very smart of you.
Now often in British English we will say not very,
But we often say, "That's not very smart of you" instead.
Another example, it was stupid of him to say that.
It was stupid of him to say that.
And how stupid of you, what were you thinking?
How stupid of you, what were you thinking?
Now listen to this, I think I am addicted to coffee.
I think I'm addicted to coffee
because I need two cups of coffee
just to get going in the morning.
So I think I'm addicted to coffee.
Another example is kids are addicted to screens these days.
They're always on iPads and phones.
Kids are addicted to screens these days.
Excited about, this is one of my favorites
and I've been using this as an example
of learning English through sentences.
"She's so excited about going to the party later."
And that sentence can give you so much information
Again, learn English through sentences.
She's so excited about going to the party later.
Another example is he's not that excited about it.
He's not that excited about it.
Or he doesn't seem that excited about it.
He doesn't seem that excited about it.
And to use this in the past, imagine that
we had plans to go to the pool,
but there's a thunderstorm. (thunder rumbling)
I could say, "Uh, I was really excited
I was really excited about going to the pool.
The next one is sad or happy about something.
For example, I'm so happy about reaching
300,000 subscribers here on YouTube.
I'm so happy about reaching 300 subscribers here on YouTube.
And on the other end of the emotional spectrum,
I can say, "We're so sad about what happened."
We're so sad about what happened.
And if you're asking someone a question, you can ask them,
"Are you happy about your new job?"
Are you happy about your new job?
The next one, teachers and parents
often use with their children.
Disappointed with or pleased with.
For example, I'm really disappointed
with how you are acting at the moment.
I'm really disappointed with how
Now acting in this case means something like your behavior,
how you are behaving at the moment.
On the other hand, you might say, "I'm so pleased with you."
And I often ask English learners, like yourself,
"Are you pleased with your progress?"
Are you pleased with your progress this year?
And the last one is overwhelmed with or by.
For example, I'm overwhelmed with all the work
I'm overwhelmed with all the work I have to do right now.
And using this in the past, I was overwhelmed
by all the cleaning I had to do, but I did it.
So those are all the examples I have for you
on adjectives plus prepositions
And this type of structure is important to learn
bed it's going to allow you to talk freely
Now speaking with is actually a verb
And we might have a lesson on that soon.
But for now, definitely go to the description.
If you don't have my book yet,
"The 5-Step Plan for English Fluency,"
just click the link and enter your details.
While you're down there, check out
I'll leave some of them in the YouTube description.
And go to my website to see all the phrases.
If you want to get the audio and the memory cards,
then join the To Fluency Program.
And either way, I just recommend
that you write down these sentences and learn them.
So take some time to repeat these sentences
so that you commit them to your memory
that you can use them in a flexible way.
I was excited about seeing her,
then you'll be able to say, "I'm excited about seeing her,"
or, "I'm excited about going there."
Once you see these patterns over and over again,
you'll be able to use them flexibly,
which is where you want to be.
then please like and share it.
And again, check out the description.
to watch another one of my lessons.